Refrigerating mechanism



1930. H. A. BRYSSELBOUT 1,785,576

REFRIGERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 18, 1928 QwQmtoc Xevzzd 6 55/55?!1011f Patented Dec. 16,- 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE HENRI A.BRYSSELBOUT, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COPELAND PRODUCTS,

INC., A CORPORATION 013 MICHIGAN BEFRIGERATING MECHANISM Applicationfiled January 18,

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to animproved con- 'lllVGIlfiOIl and inwhich like struction of 'the heatexchange mechanism thereof, the principal object being the provision ofa new and novel form of heat exchange mechanism permitting more rapidtransfer of heat to or from the same than in conventional constructions.

Another object is to provide a heat exchange unit for refrigeratingmechanisms in which a natural draft or flow of air isinduced to carryheat away from or transfer heat to the same.

'Afurther object is to provide a heat exchan e unit for refrigeratingmechanisms in which certain of the refrigerant passages are providedwith heat conducting fins arranged in the form of a stack or chimneywhereby the transfer of heat to or from the refrigerant passages throughthe fins to the air will induce a rapid flow of air through the chimneyin order to accelerate the transfer of heat between the air andrefrigerant passages.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the sameconsists in certainfeatures of construction and combinations ofreference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having theabove and other objects inview.

Inv the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment ofthe present numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a refrigerator cabinetand illustrating a mechanical refrigerator unit constructed inaccordancewith the present invention in connection therewithr ig. 2 is an enlargedperspective view of e evaporator or cooling unit. Fig. 3*is a sideview'of one of the stacks and' co-operating tubin of the evaporator unitwith certain portlons thereof broken away to better illustrate theconstruction ofthe same.

Fig.4 is a sectional View taken on theline 4--4OfFig.3.'

Fig. 5 is a modification'of the construction shown in the previous viewswhereby the parts to be hereinafter described with 1 1928. Serial No.247,581.

evaporator unit may be supported from a oor.

It has been the conventional practice in the heat exchange device ofrefrigerating mechanisms to provide fins on the tubes through which therefrigerant is conducted for the urposes of accelerating the transfer ofheat etween the refrigerant and the air, or other fluid from which heatis absorbed or to which heat is transferred. These fins have takenvarious shapes and forms. Some have been extended arounds tubes inhelical forma tion, others have horizontal fins through which thevarious tubes extend in thermal contact therewith, and others havevertically extending fiat plate-like fins. This invent1on particularlydeals with the heat transfer units having fins of the latter class anddeals with a construction for improving the efficiency of the same byforming them to simulate a stack or chimney whereby in the trans fer ofheat a relatively rapid flow of the fluid, to which heat is transferredfrom the refrigerant or from which heat is transferred to therefrigerant is caused to take place, thereby accelerating such heattransfer.

In'accordance with the present invention I show in the accompanyindrawing a re frigerator cabinet having a bottom wall 10, side walls 11and a top wall 12. The top wall 12 is provided with an opening 13 ofgenerous cooling element may be removed and is closed by an air tightcover. 14:. ,Within' the cabinet and extending between the back wall 15and front wall (not shown) are a pair 0 spaced vertically extendingpartitions or walls 16 which terminate short of the top and bottom ofthe refrigerator cabinet. The

vdeflector 19 is positioned below the space between the free edges ofthe deflectors 18 proportions through which the and is spaced therefromwhereby to form passages between the same and the deflectors 18 for thecirculation of air. The edges of the deflector 19 may be bent upwardlyas shown so that it may serve as a drip trough for the collection ofmelted frost from the cooling unit.

Supportedon the removable cover 14 is a compressor 21 driven through thebelt 22 by the electric motor 23. A condenser 24 of conventionalconstruction is shown connected to the outlet side of the compressor andis adaptedto be cooled by the fan 23' secured to the shaft of the motor.The refrigerant from the .condenser 24 is adapted to be collected in theconventional receiver 25. Supported below the cover 14 by bolts such as26 is a float valve chamber 27 which may be of conventional constructionand which serves to regulate the flow of liquid refrigerant to thecooling or evaporator unit. A tube 28 connects the chamber 27 from apoint above the 'normal level of refrigerant therein with the intakeside of the compressor, and another tube 29 connects the chamber 27 withthe receiver 25. The chamber 27 has secured thereto a plurality of tubes30 and 31 the interiors of which connect with the interior of thechamber 27 at a point below the normal level of refrigerant therein andextend downwardly therefrom in spaced I each 0t relationship to eachother to form a plurality of loops. The loops formed by the tubes 30 arepositioned in the same plane and within the-loops formed by the tubes31, thus formingla series of double loops spaced from er along thelength of the chamber 27.

In accordance with the present invention I secure between each pair ofdouble loops 30 and 31 a pair of spaced vertically extending box-likestructures or shells 32 having open tops and bottoms andwhich'constitute the chimneys or. stacks previously referred to. Eachstack 32 is soldered or otherwise secured to the tubes 30 and 31 inthermal contact therewith. The vertically extending portions of thetubes 30 and 31 are preferably so spaced from each other in relation tothe horizontal dimensions of the stacks 32 that there is an equaldistance measured on the surface of the stacks 32 in a horizontaldirection between each of the tubes. This permits an equal cooling -orheating effect to be transmitted by all portions of the stacks 32, whichare preferably formed of copper or other metal of high heat conductingqualities, to each of the tubes.

It will be noted that when the unit comprising the chamber27, tubes 30and 31 and stacks 32 is in place it is positioned between the cover 14and deflectors 18, and between the partitions '16, and is spaced fromall of these. When this apparatus is employed as the cooling unit orevaporator as shown and is positioned in a refrigerator cabinet asshown, and the refrigerating mechamsm is functioning in a normal manner,the refrig-.

the stack. By forming the stacks in the manner shown such air isconfined to straight vertical movement through theinterior of the stackswhich. thereby has the same effect creating a draft as in the stacksused in connection with conventional heating plants except for thereversal of direction of flow. I

have found that by the employment of such stacks the rate of heatex'chan'e of a given size ofrefrigerating unit may e materiallyincreased over those constructions which employ simple coolingfins'only. This flow of air through the cooling unit as descrloed may befurther accelerated by the provision of the partition 16 as shown in thedrawings in the refrigerator cabinet which thereby forms a second stackconstruction with the cabinet.

It will be aparent from the foregoing that the construction disclosedmay be employed either in connection with an evaporator as shown or witha condenser, and the effect will be the same in either case. It willalso be apparent that the. particular arrangement of the refrigerantcarrying tubes in respect to the stacks 32 may be varied to' suit thetastes of the particular designer or manufacturer without materiallyaltering the action of the same, and the spacing of the tubes themselvesis relatively immaterial solong as they are in substantial thermalcontact withthe stacks.

porting the lower ends of the stacks 32 clear of the floor 35 to allow afree flow of'air under the same.

, It is'obvious that the float type of valve for feeding the refrigerantto tubes may be re-- placed by any other suitable type of automatic feeddevice and that either a mechanical compressionor absorption type ofrefrigerating mechanism may be used in conection with 'dicated in Fig. 5so asto form legs for supthe same,and other f rmal changes may be madein thespecific em odiment of the invention described without. departingfrom the 'spirit or substance of the broad invention, the

scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. -'In combination, a looped refrigerant passage flying in a singleplane, a second looped refrigerant passage lyin in a plane parallel tothe first mentione plane and within the first mentioned loop, and abox-like structure of heat conducting material having an open top andbottom and having a face secured in thermalcontact with one leg of eachof said loops.

2. In a device of the type described, a shell-like structure ofheatconducting material having substantially imperforate side wallsand-an open top and bottom, and a pair of spaced looped refrigerantcarying tubes in thermal contact with said structure, said loopsprojecting below the lower end of said structure whereby to provide legsfor supporting said structure on a horizontal supporting surface withoutmaterially restricting the free flow of air through the same.

3. In a device of the ty e described, in combination, a pair of looperefrigerant carrying'tubes positioned in substantially the,

same 'plane and one loop being positioned within the other, a secondpair of loops substantially identical to the first" mentioned pair andspaced therefrom, and a tubular sheet metal structure having an open topand bottom positioned between corresponding legs of corresponding loopsand in thermal contact with one leg of each loop of both pairs of loops.

4. In a device of the type described, in combination, a pair of loopedrefrigerant carrying tubes positioned one within the other, a secondpair of like tubes spaced from the first mentioned pair, a tubular sheetmetal structure having an open top and bottom positioned between saidpairs of loops and in thermal contact with one legof each'loop of eachpair of loops, and a second similar tubular sheet metal structurepositioned between said pairs of loops in spaced relation with respectto the first mentioned structure and in thermal contact with theremaining legs of each loop of said airs of loops.

5. In a device 0 the type described, in combination, a pair of spacedtubular members having an open top and bottom and substantiallyimperforate side walls, a pair of spaced looped refrigerant tubessecured in thermal contact with said members adjacent faces thereof, alooped refrigerant tube surrounding .each of the first mentioned loopedtubes and spaced therefrom, the lower ends of the last mentioned loopedtubes being downwardly spaced from the lower edges of said members, andsaid last mentioned tubes being secured in thermal contact to saidmembers.

6. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet formed to provide a stack-likepassage therein, a refrigerant evaporator unit mounted in saidstack-like structure, and auxiliary heat

